3 Weekend Gateways from Bangalore within 200kms !

3 Weekend Gateways from Bangalore within 200kms !

3 Weekend Gateways from Bangalore within 200kms !

Weekdays are meant to work hard and so are the weekends, to chill and relax. What can be better than to explore the unseen, meeting strangers, welcoming the wide roads and getting to know something that you have read or heard about!

Since I’m a freaky traveler, sitting at home on weekends is just not my cup of tea. Hence, I decided to go for a bike ride (as a pillion rider) so as to reboot myself before Monday blues hit me.

Starting Point: Arekere, Bannerghatta via Kanakpura Road.

Places covered: Chunchi Falls, Sangam, and Dodda Aladha Mara

Type of travel: Short Road Trip

Total Distance traveled: Approx 120 km.

Must have: A good pair of shoes.

Note: You can stuff yourself in Kanakpura road before reaching Chunchi falls.

Awesome meal in Sumukha restaurant,Kanakpura road

Chunchi falls: Situated at a distance of almost 80km from the city, Chunchi falls is one of the best weekend gateways to travel to. To have a sight of the waterfall, you should be ready to walk almost 1.5 km. This walk will be in the midst of a rough terrain and will start from the point where you park your vehicle. Do not worry; the vehicles will be guarded by the vendors of few local stalls present. They were there to sell soft drinks, buttermilk, snacks and water which you can buy and carry to keep yourself hydrated during the walk.

The rough terrain to falls

Chunchi Falls

The Parking

The vendors

The eateries available

Timing: 8AM-5PM.

Parking Fee: Rs. 30/-

Entry: Free

You will get to see domestic goats while heading towards the fall. Be careful while getting down the stream as chances are there to get hurt by the big rocks. The location is not advisable for kids and elderly persons as they might feel difficult to climb and walk even. Children should not be left unattended; otherwise, it’s a perfect place for a day outing in Bangalore. You can also plan for a picnic too with your friends.

People up for picnic

Spotted these!

Sangam: As the word describes, Sangam describes the confluence of two rivers, namely Arkavathi and Kaveri. You need to take a left from Chunchi Falls to head towards Sangam. Once you reach and park your vehicle at Sangam, you can find the stalls selling mouth-watering delicious fishes all smeared with masalas. The marinated fishes resemble dark colored red snappers. Mostly the shops are run by women vendors. They will instantly fry the fishes, served with diced onions and green chilies. Maggie and Omelette are another best serves.

The Sangam

Fishes wrapped in masala

The fried one!

Once you enter the gate, you will find a restaurant on your left which I haven’t tried and a temple on your right-hand side where you can offer prayers. One should be cautious of the monkeys swinging to and fro.

Note: Please do not feed the monkeys.

The temple

Timing: 8 AM-5:30 PM

You can either sit or enjoy the quiet environment near the river or can walk and cross the river to explore Mekedatu. I didn’t cross the river as I had to cover another beautiful spot.

On our way toDodda Alada Mara, we found the locals indulged in Sericulture, in Ramnagara village.

The Silk Worm

The people segregating the good ones

The Silk Threads

Dodda Alada Mara (Big Banyan Tree): The Big Banyan Tree is located in the village of Ramohalli. It is 28kms from Bangalore towards Mysore road and is a perfect picnic spot. It will take almost an hour to reach here from Sangam via Ramnagara city.

The road to Dodda Alada Mara

The area of Dodda Alada Mara

The Big Banyan Tree

The place can be a perfect picnic spot. Surrounded by fence, the huge 400-year-old Banyan tree covers 3 acres with a circumference of more than 250 meters and has more than thousand aerial roots. Since the main root of the tree succumbed to natural disease giving a glance of the presence of many trees.

There are many sitting arrangements and one can stay there as long as time permits (06:00 P.M, closing time). There are small restaurants and shops to binge on if you are hungry. I found one moving food cart making awesome “Gobi Manchurian”, you should try if available.

Better days are coming, they are called Saturday and Sunday! Go, explore and enjoy.

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